diff --git a/lib/cmds/simulator.js b/lib/cmds/simulator.js
index 638020e39..511bd2bf5 100644
--- a/lib/cmds/simulator.js
+++ b/lib/cmds/simulator.js
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@ class Simulator {
     let port = (options.port || this.blockchainConfig.rpcPort || 8545);
 
     cmds.push("-p " + (port + (useProxy ? constants.blockchain.servicePortOnProxy : 0)));
-    cmds.push("-h " + host);
+    if (!ganache) {
+      cmds.push("-h " + host);
+    }
     cmds.push("-a " + (options.numAccounts || 10));
     cmds.push("-e " + (options.defaultBalance || 100));
     cmds.push("-l " + (options.gasLimit || 8000000));
@@ -43,7 +45,7 @@ class Simulator {
     }
 
     const program = ganache ? 'ganache-cli' : 'testrpc';
-
+    console.log(`running: ${program} ${cmds.join(' ')}`);
     shelljs.exec(`${program} ${cmds.join(' ')}`, {async : true});
 
     if(useProxy){
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 858292ca0..e32d12389 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -194,7 +194,9 @@ class Embark {
         engine.startService("libraryManager");
         engine.startService("codeRunner");
         engine.startService("web3");
-        engine.startService("pipeline");
+        if (!options.onlyCompile) {
+          engine.startService("pipeline");
+        }
         engine.startService("deployment", {onlyCompile: options.onlyCompile});
         engine.startService("storage");
         engine.startService("codeGenerator");
@@ -206,21 +208,30 @@ class Embark {
         });
       },
       function waitForWriteFinish(callback) {
+        if (options.onlyCompile) {
+          engine.logger.info("Finished compiling".underline);
+          return callback(null, true);
+        }
         engine.logger.info("Finished deploying".underline);
-        // Necessary log for simple projects. This event is trigger to soon because there is no file
-        // Also, not exiting straight after the deploy leaves time for async afterDeploys to finish
-        engine.logger.info("If you have no files to build, you can exit now with CTRL+C");
-        engine.events.on('outputDone', callback);
+        if (!engine.config.assetFiles || !Object.keys(engine.config.assetFiles).length) {
+          return callback();
+        }
+        engine.events.on('outputDone', (err) => {
+          engine.logger.info(__("finished building").underline);
+          callback(err, true);
+        });
       }
-    ], function (err, _result) {
+    ], function (err, canExit) {
       if (err) {
         engine.logger.error(err.message);
         engine.logger.debug(err.stack);
-      } else {
-        engine.logger.info(__("finished building").underline);
       }
-      // needed due to child processes
-      process.exit();
+
+      if (canExit || !engine.config.contractsConfig.afterDeploy || !engine.config.contractsConfig.afterDeploy.length) {
+        process.exit();
+      }
+      engine.logger.info(__('Waiting for after deploy to finish...'));
+      engine.logger.info(__('You can exit with CTRL+C when after deploy completes'));
     });
   }